Here ya go, according to Grok: The presidential autopen has a history that dates back to the early 19th century. Thomas Jefferson was the first U.S. president to use a version of this technology in 1804, shortly after its invention in 1803 by John Isaac Hawkins. Known as a polygraph, this early device was a mechanical tool that duplicated handwriting by linking two pens—one guided by the writer and the other replicating the motion. Jefferson, an avid technophile, adopted it enthusiastically to copy his correspondence, calling it "the finest invention of the present age." He kept one at the White House and another at Monticello, using it extensively during and after his presidency (1801–1809).
The modern autopen, a more automated machine capable of reproducing a pre-programmed signature without the signer’s direct involvement, emerged much later. Its commercial development began in the 1930s, with the "Robot Pen" becoming available in 1937. However, it was Robert M. De Shazo Jr. who, in 1942, created the first commercially successful autopen in response to a Navy request, marking its entry into widespread government use. In the White House, the autopen’s adoption is generally traced to the post-World War II era, with Harry Truman (1945–1953) often cited as the first president to use it regularly for routine tasks like signing letters and checks, though exact installation dates remain unclear due to limited official records.
The primary reason for installing the autopen was efficiency. Presidents face an immense volume of documents requiring their signature—correspondence, military commissions, diplomatic papers, and, more recently, legislation. Manually signing each one is impractical, especially during travel or times of urgency. Jefferson’s polygraph addressed his personal need to manage correspondence, while the modern autopen was introduced to streamline administrative tasks, freeing the president to focus on governance. Its use expanded as signature demands grew with the federal government’s size and complexity, particularly after the 20th century.
Presidents known to have used the autopen include:
Thomas Jefferson (1801–1809): Used the polygraph, the precursor to the modern autopen, for duplicating letters.
Harry Truman (1945–1953): Believed to be the first to use the modern autopen in office, primarily for mail and minor documents.
Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953–1961): Employed it sparingly, expanding its use beyond Truman’s.
John F. Kennedy (1961–1963): Popularized the autopen, using it extensively for correspondence; his reliance was notable enough to inspire a 1965 book, The Robot That Helped to Make a President.
Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969): Openly embraced it, allowing photographs of the device in 1968, which led to a National Enquirer headline, "The Robot That Sits in for the President."
Gerald Ford (1974–1977): The first to publicly acknowledge its use, normalizing transparency about the practice.
Ronald Reagan (1981–1989): Used it for routine documents; once had a bill flown to China for his manual signature to avoid autopen controversy.
George H.W. Bush (1989–1993): Continued its use for correspondence.
Bill Clinton (1993–2001): Had bills flown overseas for manual signing but used the autopen for other tasks.
George W. Bush (2001–2009): Used it for routine items and sought a 2005 Justice Department opinion affirming its legality for legislation, though he never used it for bills, preferring in-person signing (e.g., rushing back from Texas for the Terri Schiavo bill).
Barack Obama (2009–2017): The first to use the autopen to sign legislation, starting with the Patriot Act extension in May 2011 while in France, followed by an appropriations bill in 2011 and the fiscal cliff bill in 2013 from Hawaii.
Donald Trump (2017–2021, 2025–present): Used it during both terms for various documents, though he’s recently criticized its use by others.
Joe Biden (2021–2025): Employed it extensively, including for executive orders and a 2024 FAA funding bill while in San Francisco; his use sparked debate in 2025 over autopen signatures on pardons.
The autopen’s evolution reflects a balance between practicality and symbolism, with its legal acceptance for legislation solidified under Obama, despite occasional constitutional debates. Its use remains a standard, if sometimes contentious, tool in the presidency.
Mail sent out of little importance should be able to be signed by autopen, but bills and pardons should not. I guess there needs to be a ruling by the SC.
POTUS is showing us that it is not necessary, he can sign exec orders anywhere. I don't think there is any law that it has to be done in the White House.
Presidential executive order/action/resolutions, well that is something that might be done though an authorized signature. It is as old as kingship.
In the name of the King/Queen.
some document may say and the document is signed by some schmuck.
When it comes to laws .... there is Constitutionally no reason:
sign it => law
veto it => sent to Congress
3.. do nothing => law
This all plays out within a 10 day time-frame after Congress has sent a law-proposal to the Presidents desk.
Enter, digitization. By the ability of logging-in into workflow systems, a legitimate decision can be made, it is thought, if and when a decision is made within the framework of the system-rules.
What you see is the tension between old concepts and new approaches. This is worldwide.
Let me put it this way:
If the actions of Presidents are required to be supported by a live-underwriting by hand, than the actions of any man should be featuring a live-underwriting by hand, because a man is the embodiment of rights.
If this digitization is accepted as valid, and in commercial/governmental systems it is, based on the consideration that if in the pre-contractual phase unity of intent and purpose is established ( for example by email; buy something at Amazon or Ebay) than all bets are off.
Here ya go, according to Grok: The presidential autopen has a history that dates back to the early 19th century. Thomas Jefferson was the first U.S. president to use a version of this technology in 1804, shortly after its invention in 1803 by John Isaac Hawkins. Known as a polygraph, this early device was a mechanical tool that duplicated handwriting by linking two pens—one guided by the writer and the other replicating the motion. Jefferson, an avid technophile, adopted it enthusiastically to copy his correspondence, calling it "the finest invention of the present age." He kept one at the White House and another at Monticello, using it extensively during and after his presidency (1801–1809). The modern autopen, a more automated machine capable of reproducing a pre-programmed signature without the signer’s direct involvement, emerged much later. Its commercial development began in the 1930s, with the "Robot Pen" becoming available in 1937. However, it was Robert M. De Shazo Jr. who, in 1942, created the first commercially successful autopen in response to a Navy request, marking its entry into widespread government use. In the White House, the autopen’s adoption is generally traced to the post-World War II era, with Harry Truman (1945–1953) often cited as the first president to use it regularly for routine tasks like signing letters and checks, though exact installation dates remain unclear due to limited official records. The primary reason for installing the autopen was efficiency. Presidents face an immense volume of documents requiring their signature—correspondence, military commissions, diplomatic papers, and, more recently, legislation. Manually signing each one is impractical, especially during travel or times of urgency. Jefferson’s polygraph addressed his personal need to manage correspondence, while the modern autopen was introduced to streamline administrative tasks, freeing the president to focus on governance. Its use expanded as signature demands grew with the federal government’s size and complexity, particularly after the 20th century. Presidents known to have used the autopen include: Thomas Jefferson (1801–1809): Used the polygraph, the precursor to the modern autopen, for duplicating letters.
Harry Truman (1945–1953): Believed to be the first to use the modern autopen in office, primarily for mail and minor documents.
Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953–1961): Employed it sparingly, expanding its use beyond Truman’s.
John F. Kennedy (1961–1963): Popularized the autopen, using it extensively for correspondence; his reliance was notable enough to inspire a 1965 book, The Robot That Helped to Make a President.
Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969): Openly embraced it, allowing photographs of the device in 1968, which led to a National Enquirer headline, "The Robot That Sits in for the President."
Gerald Ford (1974–1977): The first to publicly acknowledge its use, normalizing transparency about the practice.
Ronald Reagan (1981–1989): Used it for routine documents; once had a bill flown to China for his manual signature to avoid autopen controversy.
George H.W. Bush (1989–1993): Continued its use for correspondence.
Bill Clinton (1993–2001): Had bills flown overseas for manual signing but used the autopen for other tasks.
George W. Bush (2001–2009): Used it for routine items and sought a 2005 Justice Department opinion affirming its legality for legislation, though he never used it for bills, preferring in-person signing (e.g., rushing back from Texas for the Terri Schiavo bill).
Barack Obama (2009–2017): The first to use the autopen to sign legislation, starting with the Patriot Act extension in May 2011 while in France, followed by an appropriations bill in 2011 and the fiscal cliff bill in 2013 from Hawaii.
Donald Trump (2017–2021, 2025–present): Used it during both terms for various documents, though he’s recently criticized its use by others.
Joe Biden (2021–2025): Employed it extensively, including for executive orders and a 2024 FAA funding bill while in San Francisco; his use sparked debate in 2025 over autopen signatures on pardons.
The autopen’s evolution reflects a balance between practicality and symbolism, with its legal acceptance for legislation solidified under Obama, despite occasional constitutional debates. Its use remains a standard, if sometimes contentious, tool in the presidency.
Mail sent out of little importance should be able to be signed by autopen, but bills and pardons should not. I guess there needs to be a ruling by the SC.
I agree 100%
So did Trump physically sign 1600 pardon for J6 folks by himself? Or was it one blanket pardon?
I believe it was a blanketbpardon with the individual’s names listed.
thanks so much, this was great.
Its a good question. The most powerful office i. The world should have never allowed something like this to begin with. Its insane on its face
Did Trump sign 1600 pardons personally for J6 folks?
No
I pray that this scandal kills the Patriot Act!
Because they want to achieve what “dominion vote changing machines” have achieved
Seems to have been Obama, according to both of these accounts.
https://greatawakening.win/p/19Ae3pY3l6/were-getting-closerwho-was-the/c/
https://greatawakening.win/p/19Ae3u6CCl/obama-used-the-autopen-to-sign-t/c/
POTUS is showing us that it is not necessary, he can sign exec orders anywhere. I don't think there is any law that it has to be done in the White House.
It’s necessary if you want to sign thousands of “pardons” with in days or hours.
Or to stealthily give people who aren't the president the power to give pardons
I was wondering how Trumps hands don't cramp up; with all the signing he is doing.
Presidential executive order/action/resolutions, well that is something that might be done though an authorized signature. It is as old as kingship.
some document may say and the document is signed by some schmuck.
When it comes to laws .... there is Constitutionally no reason:
This all plays out within a 10 day time-frame after Congress has sent a law-proposal to the Presidents desk.
Enter, digitization. By the ability of logging-in into workflow systems, a legitimate decision can be made, it is thought, if and when a decision is made within the framework of the system-rules.
What you see is the tension between old concepts and new approaches. This is worldwide.
Let me put it this way:
If the actions of Presidents are required to be supported by a live-underwriting by hand, than the actions of any man should be featuring a live-underwriting by hand, because a man is the embodiment of rights.
If this digitization is accepted as valid, and in commercial/governmental systems it is, based on the consideration that if in the pre-contractual phase unity of intent and purpose is established ( for example by email; buy something at Amazon or Ebay) than all bets are off.
Enter your digital twin.
Probably to sign pics sent out to constituents. The the use of autopen was corrupted over time.
Is it a kosher auto pen?
Asking for a friend
I sees whut you did there..😁
I was listening wdw pro last night and yes the autopen has been in use a long time not just since Biden. Good interview https://youtu.be/zszruROJduA?si=jg9iOkJAWgO3Aigx
My guess is because Barack Obama was getting a ton of fan mail during the early days of his Presidency.
Used extensively on the Hill.